West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1887-04-08
DAVIS ANSWERED.
The following letter was sent to
the Register last Tuesday;
CHARLEsTowN, w. Va.,l
April 6, 1886.

w N'f
April 6, 1886.
To THE EDITOR OF THE WHEELING
REGISTER: The Hon. Henry &.
Davis has been for sCme years past,
in the habit of giving his views in a
matter at once dogmatic and oracu-
lar. As these views have not been,
in the main, especially harmful ne
has not been replied to by those
against whom his oracles were often
covertly directed. The time has
passed, however, when this indul-
gence can be accorded to Mr.. Davis
without manifest injury to the best
interests of this State and OF the
Democratic party.
beg leave, therefore, to present
an answer to his letter, published in
your paper of the 3lst ultimo' and
to ask. in the name of fair play, that
YOU publish it in the Register. The
first proposition of Mr.. Davis is:
that "The greatest resources of
wealth in West Virginia are her
large and valuable deposits of coal,
iron ore and her timber" This as
sumption is but one Illustration of
the inveterate habit Of Mr.. Davis
and other monopolists of mistaking
their oacR pirate interests for the
interests Of the people of the State.
Mr.. Davis own wealth is dependent
upon the enhancement of coal, iron
and timber, and he consequently
does not care at whose expense and
cost these values are artificially
stimulated. l call attention to the
fact that there are other interests
which he entirely overlOOks and
which monopolists are prone to over
look. First, there is the interests
of agriculture, and, secondly, there
is the interests Of Labor. Are these
any part of the resources" of West
Virginia? The surplus in the United
States treasury for the past year was
in round numbers about S3,00O,OO0,
and for the present year it is esti-
mated at s125,OOO,OOO.
This enormous surplus is the
lowest estimate of the OrertdTGtion
to which the agriculture and labor
of this nation is now subjected. Mr..
Davis and Mr.. Camden find their
account in keeping up this enormous
burden, because they believe that a
part of it goes into the profits OF
their own private and corporate en-
terprises. What has Mr.. Camden
ever said or done since he has been
in the Senate to relieve labor and
agriculture from the burden of this
unequal and excessive taxation:
Upon this subject commend to Mr..
Davis the calm, thoughtful language
of a statesman and true Democrat,
the late Samuel j. Tilden: I'm
equal Legislation, Monopolies and
Exclusive Privileges of every de-
scription not only lessen production,
but even alter the distribution OF
what is produced invariably to the
/ injury of the laboring classes"
/ Again Mr.. Tilden says:
"Now compare for a moment these
taxes with what we used to pay in
/ 1850 and 1860. In 1860 our taxes,
| Federal and State, were about $l54,
100000 all told. In 1850 they were
about $S3.O0O.000. They have run
up from that figure to enormous and
APPALLING amounts and they bear
heavily upon every mans income
and upon every industry and every
business in the country, and year by
year they are destined to bear still
more heavily unless we arrest the
system that gives rise to them. 1t
was comparatively easy when values
were doubling under repeated issues
of legal tender paper money to pay
out of the froth of our growing and
apparent wealth these taxes; but
when values recede and sink towards
their natural scale the tax-gatherer
takes from us not only our income,
not only our profits, but also por-
tion of our capital. We must arrest
this system or all that has made
this country great and glorious, and